Identifying Asbestos: 3 Steps to Removal
Although it isn’t advised that you try to remove asbestos yourself, there are a few steps you can take to ensure the correct protocol is followed and that you keep those around you safe.
Disturbing asbestos can pose a threat to the health of your employees, colleagues, or family members and it should be removed by a team of licensed professionals.
However, before contacting a removal team, it’s important that you learn how to identify asbestos and how dangerous it is in its various forms.
Identifying potential asbestos
In order to protect the people around you, it’s important that you can properly identify asbestos by learning about it.
It is difficult to spot the presence of asbestos by its appearance without appropriate training, so it’s best practice to learn which products and materials may contain the substance and how to handle them until they can be professionally tested.
For example, the mineral can commonly be found on boiler or heating pipes, so it’s advised that you treat them as if they’re contaminated until told otherwise.
It’s likely that homes and industrial buildings will contain some kind of asbestos whether that is under the flooring or within the roofing, so it’s useful to be aware of where it may be and the next steps to take.
Is asbestos removal essential?
In some cases, asbestos can and should be left exactly as it is.
For example, in some instances, fibres can be bound together tightly in the material of a product or covered in a sprayed coating, for example, a contaminated window sill or pipe, and therefore it’s safer to be left undisturbed as removing these products would release fibres into the surrounding environment.
However, if asbestos is found in roofing panels, this can present huge health risks as weather damage can cause fibres to be released and therefore the asbestos must be removed.
Call for professional support
Depending on the individual asbestos situation there are different measures that should be taken to ensure the correct removal procedure.
If asbestos is detected in the workplace, you must contact your employer as they have a duty to provide a workspace that follows health and safety regulations and professionals should be contacted to take care of the asbestos.
Similarly, if the building isn’t yours or your employer’s, you must contact the owner of the building as it is their responsibility to assess the situation and contact a service to help.
However, if asbestos is detected in your own home, it’s important that you close off the area and call a professional company immediately who are certified to take care of the problem.
If you require support dealing with an asbestos issue in your business or workplace, call our team on 0191 488 5195 for a professional service.
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